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Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Samsung HW-S801D Ultra Slim soundbar review: One for the Samsung TV owners
The Samsung HW-S801D Ultra Slim soundbar could be one of the best soundbars if you already have a Samsung TV and are looking to expand your Samsung ecosystem. But for everyone else? I don't think the S801D is worth it. Let me explain — it's just a 3.1.2 channel setup for $900, whereas you can get the 9.1.4 channel Sonos Arc Ultra for just $100 extra. One of the best-value soundbars is the Polk Signa S4, which has a 3.1.2 setup for just $399. When you put it into perspective, I find it a little strange that the Samsung S801D is priced so highly. But if you have a Samsung TV, I still think it's worth it. I'll explain everything in this Samsung HW-S801D Ultra Slim Soundbar review. Price $899 / £549 Connectivity micro HDMI eARC, Bluetooth, Optical Weight Soundbar: 3.1 pounds / Subwoofer: 14.1 pounds Dimensions Soundbar: 1.4 x 1.5 x 45.6 inches / Subwoofer: 9.3 x 9.4 x 9.3 inches Colors Black, white Subwoofer Yes Dolby Atmos Yes Channel 3.1.2 The S801D Ultra Slim soundbar's MSRP is priced at $899 on the Samsung U.S. website, but it's often sold for around $750 on Amazon U.S.. In the U.K., it's a much more palatable £549 on Samsung U.K.. I'm unsure why there's such a price discrepancy between the U.S. and U.K., but in the U.K. you're getting a much better deal. The S801D was released in 2024 in both countries, replacing the previous 2022 S800D model. I think $899 is an extremely high price for this soundbar: for just an extra $100, you can get one of Samsung's best soundbars, Q800D. Alternatively, you can get the Sonos Arc Ultra for an extra $100 (yes, it doesn't come with a subwoofer, but its standalone bass is very good). Where the S801 sets itself apart is its super slim design: I'd only recommend this if you're low on space. One of the best aspects of the S801D is the design. As it's an Ultra Slim soundbar, it's kind of a given that it's just 1.4 inches high and 1.5 inches deep. This would be a perfect soundbar for compact spaces, or if you'd like to mount the soundbar flush to the wall. Given the 45-inch length, this soundbar would pair best with a 65-inch TV. Any smaller than that and I think the soundbar would look a little ridiculous. The S801D looked seamless with my Panasonic MZ1500 4K OLED. Other than being slim, the S801D looks like any other soundbar. It comes in white or black (I tested white), with grated speakers. There are buttons on top (mic, volume) and the remote feels well-made, much better than the Bose Smart Soundbar remote. The subwoofer is pretty heavy at 14.1 pounds, but it's easy to set up thanks to the wireless connection. I was able to control the volume via the Smart Things app and the remote control. Smart Things is actually very handy — not only can you control volume, but you can control treble, bass, and listening modes. I'll chat about it more in the 'App' section below. As you'd expect with Samsung smart home products, the S801D uses the Smart Things app. I already have this app as I have a Samsung washing machine, and I'm currently testing a Samsung vacuum. It's actually surprisingly rewarding to see my ecosystem grow. I love that you can name all of your products — Samsung recommends names like 'Living Room Soundbar' but of course you can enter anything, regardless of how silly. Here you can see the listening mode selection, toggles for SpaceFit Sound Pro and Active Voice Amplifier (which I couldn't take advantage of as I didn't have a Samsung TV), and Samsung's explanation page for all of its features. Connecting to Bluetooth is also super straightforward in the app — simply click 'Pair' in the top left corner and connect in your phone's settings. This is one of the most straightforward smart home apps I've ever used. One of the most impressive upgrades from the S800D is Q-Symphony, which is improved sound room calibration. Unfortunately, this requires a Samsung TV, so I was unable to test this. The S801D also has 'SpaceFit Sound Pro', which is supposed to calibrate audio based on your surroundings. Again, this is only compatible with Samsung TVs, so I couldn't test this either. If you're not sensing a theme, you will be now. The S801D has wireless Dolby Atmos — but only if you have a Samsung TV, and compatible separate surrounds. I still got decent Dolby Atmos surround sound with just the soundbar and subwoofer, though, so I'd say this isn't a major loss. Even without access to these features, the sound quality was still great. It's just a major shame that I couldn't actually test any of these features. I assume they're good, but I can't say for certain. It's very disappointing that Samsung restricted these flagship features to its TVs, but I can understand why, of course. If you don't have a Samsung TV, I'd recommend skipping this soundbar for now, and getting something a little less restricted like the Sonos Arc Ultra. One of my main problems with the S801D is that the HDMI output is a micro-HDMI port. When I saw this, I was utterly perplexed. Why? Just why? It's not because the soundbar is so slim, because there's a big enough space for a proper HDMI port. This means that if you lose the original cable (or want to upgrade to an 8K cable), you have to buy another one from Samsung. There will also be quality loss. As with all soundbars I test, I watched a series of movies and TV shows, and listened to music. I watched 'Top Gun: Maverick', 'The Wild Robot', 'A Complete Unknown' on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, 'Stranger Things' on Netflix, and various music genres on Qobuz. It was like the center channels and the surround channels (inside the soundbar itself) were out of sync. First, I watched 'Top Gun: Maverick'. It brings me great sadness to report that this movie sounded utterly terrible on the S801D. It sounded so bad that I had to make sure the soundbar wasn't broken. I switched out the 'Top Gun: Maverick' DVD for 'The Wild Robot', and the sound was fine. Confused, for good measure I connected it up to another TV, and again, the sound was fine. I played 'Top Gun: Maverick' again, and the issue persisted. It was like the center channels and the surround channels (inside the soundbar itself) were out of sync. When I turned the center channel down to volume 0, the audio sounded normal, if tinny. Then, when I returned to the original volume, the sound was again out of sync. The soundbar was playing on the 'Surround' audio setting. I tried it again with the DTS Virtual X and it sounded fine. I assume there's something in 'Top Gun: Maverick''s mix that the 'Surround' setting didn't like — I'd recommend switching between modes to iron out sound issues. The splashing sound effects sounded as if they were coming from beside me rather than in front of me. After the 'Top Gun' disaster, I played 'The Wild Robot'. I experienced no out-of-sync audio with this movie. I cycled through the audio settings (aforementioned surround, game, standard, adaptive, DTS Virtual X). After selecting surround, the audio was immersive and rich, and I could hear all of the rustling of fur and feathers. When the goose character was swimming, the splashing sound effects sounded as if they were coming from beside me rather than in front of me. I could hear bubbles and low-frequency water sounds perfectly in this scene. Lastly, I watched 'A Complete Unknown'. As this is a musical movie, I was excited to see how the S801D would be able to handle music-heavy scenes. There's a scene where a janitor kicks a bucket, and the sound of the bucket scraping across the floor was so loud that I jumped. It was a little incongruous in the previously relaxed soundscape, so I kept my ear out for similar moments. In the scene where two characters converse in a diner, the cash register rings, cutlery clinks, and telephone rings were clear and immersive without overpowering the main sound. To test the TV sound, I watched 'Stranger Things' on Netflix. The version of Netflix I have doesn't have Dolby Atmos, so it was a good way to evaluate the S801D's ability to play standard, basic TV shows. 'Stranger Things' sounded great, with balanced, even volume across the synth-heavy soundtrack and dialogue. I could hear low-frequency sounds like leaves rustling, bike wheels whirring, and breathing. Generally, soundbars aren't really expected to have audiophile-level sound quality. Even so, I wanted to give the S801D a fair shot. I connected to my phone via Bluetooth (one of the easiest Bluetooth pairings I've ever done using the Smart Things app) and played 'Boom Baby Bloom' by Wolf Alice. In the DTS Virtual X sound mode, the song sounded awful — extremely tinny and small, like a deluge of tin cans raining down from the sky. I switched to 'standard' sound mode, and it improved, but only just. When I listened to 'Let It Happen' by Tame Impala I found much of the same — incredibly tinny and weak sound. This was majorly disappointing as the soundbar had performed (mostly) well in the movie and TV tests. I switched to 'Surround' and the music expanded a little, but still poor. 'Game' and 'Adaptive' sound modes didn't do much, either. My working theory is that the Bluetooth music connection mustn't use the subwoofer, so the music is left incredibly treble-heavy, which makes it sound tinny. I could still increase or decrease the sub volume in the Smart Things app, but this only affected the sound minutely. There are many things to like about the S801D, but that doesn't mean it's free of problems. For most of the flagship features, you need a Samsung TV. It's very expensive for what it is — 3.1.2 channel with an MSRP of $899. Seeing as you can get the Polk Signa S4 (3.1.2 channel, and my favorite soundbar + subwoofer for value) for just $399, or spend an extra $100 for the Sonos Arc Ultra (9.1.4 channel), I just think the S801D is too expensive. On a half-price sale? Sure, it's worth it. It sounds great and is super compact. But full price? You're better off with something else.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Samsung HW-S60D review: An affordable upgrade from TV speakers, but only if that TV's a Samsung
Samsung's HW-S60D could be one of the best soundbars… but only if you have a Samsung TV. While the S60D has a range of premium features that make its $349 MSRP much more appealing, said features are restricted to Samsung TVs. Features like Wireless Dolby Atmos and Active Voice Analyzer are unfortunately only available on compatible Samsung TVs, so I was unable to experience these while testing on my Panasonic. That's not to say the S60D is a bad soundbar — if you've got a Samsung TV, it could be a great way to upgrade from the built-in TV speakers for a relatively affordable price. However, if you've got any other brand (or an older Samsung model), then you'd be better off with something else. Don't worry, I'll go through all the details in my Samsung HW-S60D soundbar review. Price $349 / £359 Connectivity HDMI, Optical, Bluetooth Weight 6 pounds Dimensions 26.3 x 2.4 x 4.1 inches Colors Black Subwoofer No Dolby Atmos No; Wireless Dolby Atmos only with Samsung TV Channel 5.0 The Samsung S60D is $347 on Amazon U.S., but its MSRP on Samsung U.S. is $349. The S60D has an RRP of £359 in the U.K. but is available for just £279 on Amazon U.K.. £279 is a much better price for this soundbar — I think £359 is pretty steep considering you can get the Polk Signa S4 soundbar and subwoofer for just £329 (a 3.1.2 channel setup as opposed to the S60D's 5.0). If you're a home theater newbie looking for your first home setup, I wholeheartedly recommend the Polk Signa S4. It's got a subwoofer and soundbar for just $399. The Signa S4 is my go-to recommendation for beginners, as it's relatively affordable and sounds just as good as some of the $500+ options. Honestly, there's not really much to say about the S60D's appearance. It looks like a soundbar. They all look the same. Still, there's nothing inherently negative about that — there's a style, and it works. The S60D is quite inconspicuous, but it's deeper than the S801D's tiny 1.5-inch depth. It's not one if you need a super slim soundbar — the Polk Signa S4 I praised earlier could help you out there at just 2.4 inches deep. Although the S60D is unassuming in appearance, it's very easy to set up. I only had to plug it in and connect with an HDMI cable to my Panasonic MZ1500 4K OLED and it was ready to go. I love the on-bar buttons: there's volume, mic, and an on/off button. You don't need to use these, though: the S60D comes with a lovely remote control that has a range of features, including channel level and listening modes. The Samsung remote is much better than the Bose remote, which I find lacking in features. As with other Samsung soundbars, the S60D uses the Smart Things app. This is one of the best smart home apps I've ever used. I'm already familiar with it as I own a Samsung washing machine, and I can't lie — it's nice to see my virtual home fill up with more products. You can name each product to whatever you like (Soundbar McSoundbarface, anyone?). As you can see, there's a range of playback modes in the Smart Things app. I found that DTS Virtual X sounded the best across a range of movies and TV shows. You can even increase center and surround channel speakers to imitate true surround sound (but obviously it isn't 'true' surround as there's no Dolby Atmos on this soundbar, and there aren't enough channels). As with the Samsung S801D Ultra Slim soundbar I recently tested, the S60D's flagship features are restricted to Samsung TVs. As I was testing on our Panasonic testing TV, unfortunately, these features were lost to me. I think this is a fair criticism, as not everyone has a Samsung TV, therefore virtually limiting users of this soundbar to Samsung loyalists. It's a shame that I couldn't experience 'Wireless Dolby Atmos' as this was the mode I was most excited about. However, the DTS Virtual X listening mode made a valiant effort to create a Dolby Atmos experience. The S60D claims it has Dolby Atmos, but it doesn't really. The upfiring channel speakers don't perform adeptly enough to create an immersive experience, and Wireless Dolby Atmos is limited to Samsung TVs, as I just mentioned. Of course you can still use it (and enjoy it, as I did), but it's a shame that these major features are restricted. I'm sure that the room calibration feature, Space Fit Sound Pro, works a treat. I just didn't get the opportunity to experience it in all its glory. There are still a range of sound modes, though, including 'Standard', 'Game', 'Music' and 'DTS Virtual X'. I found that DTS Virtual X was pretty good at tricking my brain into thinking I was listening with true Dolby Atmos, as I'll get into below. As I watched movies with this soundbar, I actually felt like I had a full surround setup. However, I do think the S60D could benefit from a dialogue enhancement sound mode. There were a few moments in 'A Complete Unknown' where I couldn't hear anything. That's definitely to do with the acting and sound mixing as well (the S60D isn't completely guilty), but is something to note if you struggle with hearing already. As I do with all soundbars I test, I watched various movies and TV shows, and listened to music. I watched 'Top Gun: Maverick', 'The Wild Robot', 'A Complete Unknown' on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, 'Stranger Things' on Netflix, and a range of music via Qobuz. Before we start, a word of warning: do not use 'Standard' audio mode, as it's really tinny. Like, really tinny. Just skip immediately to DTS Virtual X. As always, I watched 'Top Gun: Maverick' on 4K Blu-Ray. To see how immersive it could be, I upped the channel speakers to attempt Dolby Atmos. However, this didn't really improve the surround sound experience. As this soundbar doesn't have surround sound, I wasn't expecting it to mimic true 360° audio anyway. The high-frequency sounds like metal clinking and ropes swishing were a little lost with the bassy soundtrack. The jet engine sounds overpowered these smaller sound effects — I'd say the audio in this specific Top Gun scene was comparable to the Bose Smart Soundbar ($499). The louder parts of the soundtrack fell a little flat, but it's easily overlookable. It's good, but not mind-blowing. Next, I watched 'A Complete Unknown'. The singing sounded good, but there wasn't much clarity in the vocals. Dialogue scenes were a little overpowered by the soundtrack. I thought the semi-mumbled dialogue could be the problem, but I was able to hear this on the Samsung S801D. Also, I feel like loads of movies nowadays have mostly muted speech. The Samsung 60D lacks the AI voice-enhancing tech I've seen on other soundbars like the Polk Signa S4's 3 'voice adjust' modes. Samsung does have an Adaptive Sound mode for enhanced audio, but, again, this is restricted to Samsung TVs, which is a major disappointment. Last, I watched 'The Wild Robot'. There's one particular scene that's excellent for immersive audio, where the goose character is swimming for the first time. I use this always use this scene to test soundbars — the sound mixing here is excellent. Splashes in seemingly 360°, feathers rustling, and plenty of underwater bubble sounds. Even though the S60D doesn't have Dolby Atmos, the swimming scene sounded immersive and expansive. I felt like I could have been immersed in the water myself. However, it's worth noting that the water sounds weren't as clear as on the Samsung D801D Ultra Slim soundbar. To test TV, I watched 'Stranger Things'. Again, some dialogue was a bit quiet, mostly the gruffer actors like David Harbour, but I could hear all of the kids' speech clearly. In a few scenes, I felt a little overwhelmed; the dialogue was sibilance-heavy yet muffled at the same time. However, in general, the audio was good. Not excellent, but good, and way, way better than TV speakers ever could be. In the scene where Will is hiding from the monster, I felt immersed in his fear, and could hear the hissing lightbulb and his rapid breathing clearly. It was just in louder school scenes that the ambient noise overpowered the dialogue a little. 'Music' mode did enhance the dialogue a bit, but it lost some of the DTS Virtual X mode's immersive experience. It's a toss up: clear dialogue, or more surround immersion? I settled for the surround sound. Just as with the Samsung S801D soundbar, listening to music on the S60D soundbar was merely fine. It's not amazing, and it won't impress anyone really serious about the music. But does it do the trick? Sure, it's better than an Alexa or Google Home, but if you want a good speaker, you'll need to buy a speaker (or two). I listened to 'Let It Happen' by Tame Impala. While the synth mids and vocals were clear and powerful, the percussion and bass were both extremely lacking and disappointing. Next, I listened to 'Moaning Lisa Smile' by Wolf Alice, hoping to get some oomph. The heavy, grungy chorus was loud and effectual, but again, that percussion was rather tinny. Even so, I had a good time listening to music on this soundbar, but it wouldn't be the first thing I reached for for a party. If you've got a Samsung TV, you'll likely have a better experience than me. However, it's worth criticising the Samsung ecosystem for barring the best features from third-party TVs. Panasonic, Sony, TCL, and LG TVs are still incredibly popular in the U.S. and the U.K., and there's a good chance that you don't have a Samsung TV. So, if you've got a Samsung TV, then sure, this could be a great soundbar — I just couldn't test any of its flagship features. But if you have any other brand, it's just a good soundbar. I think you can get a much better deal with the Polk Signa S4 ($399 for a 3.1.2 channel, as opposed to $349 for a 5.0 setup).
